AOTW: Cayden Pili’s 4-TD day leads Dimond to first homecoming victory in 10 years

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Since the turn of the decade, times had been tough for Dimond football.

From 2020 to 2022, the Lynx could only muster up three wins combined.

In 2023, Dimond saw a 3-0 start derailed by an injury to QB Cayden Pili, with the team finishing the year 1-5 and an early exit in the first round of the playoffs.

Saturday’s game against West Anchorage was a chance to dig the program out of a hole that seemed to only be getting deeper. Facing the Eagles in the school’s annual homecoming week, Dimond was looking for both its first win versus West and its first win on homecoming since the 2014 season.

This time, the team was at full strength. Ahead of the 2024 kickoff, team leadership called this the deepest Lynx team they’d had in a while, and now, they had their man back in the driver’s seat.

“He carries the team,” Lynx head coach Brian Yim said of Pili. “He’s a real leader out there. The boys play for him, they rally around him.”

Despite plenty of anticipation, Saturday’s matchup got off to a rough start. On the opening play of the ball game, Dimond fumbled away its first possession, setting up the reigning Div. I state champs in Lynx territory right from the get-go.

Despite the blunder, the defense persevered, keeping the Eagles’ first drive to just four plays before the ball was back in Pili’s hands.

By the end of the first quarter though, things still hadn’t changed much. The first break arrived with nothing to show on the scoreboard for either team.

The Lynx, however, knew they were still in it.

“We always know we got another shot,” Yim said. “He always makes the play in the end. It may not be that down — it may be the next down, maybe the next quarter — but he always makes up for it.”

Early in the second quarter, he certainly did. With just three minutes gone in the period, Pili had Dimond in the red zone, linking up with Everett Monteil on a 28-yard reception.

The following play, Pili took advantage of space to his left, scampering into the corner pylon for the Lynx’s first points of the afternoon.

“It was kinda shaky in the first half,” Pili said. “My linemen — shoutout to them. Good blocking this game as I was trying to get into that endzone.”

From there, The Lynx signal caller seemed to flip a switch.

Pili continued to find gaps on the ground throughout the day, scoring on a 7-yard keeper before the half.

“As soon as I saw that hole open right in the middle, I just took off. Seeing that green, I just wanted to go,” Pili said.

His skills as a passer were on display too. He linked up with eventual homecoming king Josiah James on the Lynx’s first drive of the third quarter that led to another six points.

“He’s an amazing player with amazing work ethic,” James said following the matchup.

Pili capped off the day with one last late TD to ice the game for Dimond, finishing the day with over 100 yards both on the ground and in the air.

The performance left Dimond with a 29-12 statement win. The team’s 4-0 start is one of the best records for the Lynx opening a season, dating back to 2004.

“It’s a really big win for our program,” Pili said. “I’m just happy we got the dub and did what we did.”

For Pili, it’s another accomplishment to add to his family’s legacy for the Lynx. His older brother Brandon was a defensive tackle for Dimond for three seasons, and he is now in the early stages of his second year in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins.

Pili’s sister Alissa, meanwhile, was a three-time Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year selection for Dimond in girls basketball. She is in the midst of her first year with the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA after being selected in the top 10 of the 2024 WNBA Draft.

“I want to carry on my sibling legacy and just go as far I can with it,” Pili said.

It’s not impossible that a few more games like Saturday’s could lead to his name joining his sisters next to the three banners that grace the school’s gymnasium.

“Come the end of the season, I hope he gets [Gatorade Player of the Year], just like his siblings before him,” James said.

In the meantime, Dimond turns its attention to South Anchorage. The Lynx battle the Wolverines on Saturday with a chance to remain perfect on the year. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Copyright 2024 KTUU. All rights reserved.